Chapter 11

“Rumors travel fast indeed.”

 

Renee replied mechanically, moving her jaw without an ounce of soul.

 

“Of course! It spread among the maids before dawn, so everyone in the castle will know soon!”

 

Bonnie, who was second to none when it came to being a source of information, tapped her feet restlessly, clearly itching to gossip.

 

Having barely finished a single piece of bread, Renee poked listlessly at the lamb with her fork, unable to bring herself to actually eat it.

 

“I want to eat kimchi stew.”

 

“Pardon? What did you say you wanted to eat?”

 

“Nothing. Just brush it off as me not being fully awake yet.”

 

“It feels less like you’re not awake and more like you haven’t sobered up from the wine yet, but anyway. Please be careful, My Lady. To think a murder took place right in Pomfritz Square, of all places… how dreadful!”

 

“Dreadful is an understatement; it is an eyesore I can barely bring myself to look at.”

 

“Hiek!”

 

Startled by the sudden intrusion of a third voice, Bonnie let out a bizarre shriek and leaped like a startled grasshopper. As her chair tumbled over and she nearly crashed backward, it was Ricard who caught her by the forearm.

 

Discovering Ricard, Renee hurriedly set down the fork she had been using to poke at her lamb. Wearing a thoroughly annoyed expression, he set down Bonnie—whose body was exactly half the size of his own.

 

Renee stood up from her seat, smoothing out the hem of her dress, which was terribly crumpled because she had fallen asleep in the exact clothes she wore out yesterday.

 

“Grand Duke. What brings you here so early in the morning…?”

 

Trying to greet him with an awkward smile, she caught her breath and stopped midsentence. She had just remembered her own disastrous appearance.

 

Come to think of it, only now did she understand the meaning behind Ricard’s words, “Dreadful is an understatement; it is an eyesore I can barely bring myself to look at.”

 

‘He was targeting my appearance!’

 

Renee’s face, mottled with smudged makeup and sweat, flushed bright red as if scorched by fire.

 

In the midst of this, she tried to run her fingers through her hair to roughly tidy it up, but seeing Ricard’s expression—which made it clear it was a futile effort—she quickly gave up.

 

“Tsk, tsk.”

 

Clicking his tongue, Ricard scanned Renee’s condition from head to toe before slightly tilting his head.

 

Renee shifted only her eyes to check his demeanor. Because his head was turned away, barely half of his face was visible, but for some reason, his lips were tightly and unnaturally sealed.

 

‘What is it? Is he holding back a curse?’

 

As if he were barely suppressing something from bursting out of his mouth, Ricard remained silent for a long while. Only his masticatory muscles twitched minutely, as if he were gnawing on the inside of his cheek.

 

Renee was fully prepared to accept it even if he ultimately couldn’t hold back and insulted her. After all, she was sitting here chewing on bread for breakfast looking like a clown with smudged makeup.

 

It wouldn’t be surprising if any remaining affection he had for her evaporated entirely. Though it was doubtful whether any affection had existed in the first place.

 

“Leave. There is an urgent matter my wife and I need to discuss privately.”

 

After a long silence, the words Ricard finally uttered were directed not at Renee, but at Bonnie. Having been trembling while huddled on the floor, Bonnie bowed hastily as if she had been waiting for this eviction notice, and quickly slipped out of the bedroom.

 

As if reflecting her state of mind, the door slammed shut with a massive thud. Ricard, whose brow furrowed reflexively at the noise, maintained that exact expression as he took a step forward.

 

Thump, thump.

 

With the clean sound of his boot heels as usual, he drew closer. Renee wanted nothing more than to somehow hide her disastrous appearance.

 

“Grand Duke. What is this urgent matter you speak of? Did you come because you have something to say to me?”

 

“…….”

 

“T-That… but as you can see, I am a mess right now… If you could wait just a brief moment, I will quickly wash my face, change my clothes, and return.”

 

Renee scrambled backward in a flurry.

 

However, Ricard seemed entirely indifferent to her shame. For some reason, he merely closed the distance, stepping closer to her with slow strides.

 

Now, the only distance remaining between Ricard and Renee was a single chair and the table where breakfast was served.

 

Right then, Ricard lifted one arm and pushed both the table and the chair aside all at once. With a sharp scraping sound, the large table was shoved far away.

 

From the recoil, the soup bowl teetered precariously, on the verge of falling. Renee reached out to grab it before the soup could spill all over the floor, but Ricard was a step faster.

 

Yet, what he grabbed was not the bowl, but Renee’s wrist. While Renee froze in shock, the bowl ultimately crashed to the floor.

 

The soup overturned, spreading a savory aroma. Though the white, watery liquid completely soiled the pink, plush rug, Ricard did not care in the slightest.

 

Now, no obstacles remained between him and Renee.

 

Cornered like a tense piece of prey, Renee could only stare up at Ricard with eyes swirling with confusion, worry, and fear. What on earth was his purpose for appearing so suddenly at breakfast?

 

Finally, Ricard’s lips parted.

 

“Take it off.”

 

The moment she heard his words, her brain short-circuited, only restarting after a long pause.

 

‘What?’

 

Of course, it was still impossible to process.

 

“Take it off.”

 

What kind of sudden, baffling, scandalous—in short, absolute nonsense—was this!

 

She couldn’t even bring herself to ask him to repeat it. She felt that the moment she did, she would be admitting with her own mouth that she had correctly understood his command to strip.

 

While Renee lost her words and sputtered, Ricard merely watched her with an utterly serene face. Every time he blinked slowly, his light brown eyes gleamed brilliantly, catching the morning sunlight.

 

It was an eye so beautiful it felt almost pure. Possessing those clean, innocent eyes, he stood with his mouth firmly shut, pressuring Renee with a tyrannical silence.

 

“I have given the order, so you only need to follow.”

 

His calm, expressionless face seemed to say just that.

 

“May I ask what you mean by that?”

 

In the end, Renee asked back in a voice that was trembling and thoroughly choked up.

 

“I said, take it off.”

 

Ricard answered before Renee’s question could even fully finish. He even gestured with his chin toward her dress.

 

“Do you want me to undress you myself?”

 

This time, his question dropped heavily onto Renee. It was hard to keep her wits about her, as if she had been struck dead-center by an arrow shot in jest.

 

To suddenly tell her to take off her clothes. In the bright of morning, and not even a day after two major incidents had occurred. Did he suddenly want to share marital intimacies?

 

‘Ah…!’

 

While desperately trying to grasp Ricard’s true intentions, a sudden thought flashed through her mind.

 

 

***

 

 

The carriage carrying Renee, her administrative secretary Adonis, and Tatisha came to a halt as it reached the cafe garden. Originally, the carriage was supposed to bypass the garden and park in the back courtyard of the cafe, but that was impossible right now.

 

This was because a dense line of people stretched from the front door all the way to the garden entrance, leaving no space for the carriage to pass.

 

Recognizing her carriage, the crowd began to stir one by one. Inside the carriage, Renee could hear the outside noises vividly through the window.

 

“My Lady.”

 

The coachman called out to Renee, lowering his voice.

 

“Yes, speak.”

 

“There are too many people, so I do not think the carriage can pass. I do not know which houses or positions these individuals hold, so it is difficult for me to presumptuously demand they step aside…”

 

The coachman’s voice trailed off awkwardly.

 

It was understandably difficult for him. No matter how responsible he was for Renee’s commute, he couldn’t just order people who might be prominent nobles of the kingdom to move out of the way.

 

“It’s fine. Let’s just get off here.”

 

When Renee spoke in an unbothered tone, Adonis immediately prepared to open the carriage door. Just then, Tatisha, who was sitting across from her, glared with force in her eyes and stopped him.

 

As Adonis paused with his hand on the door, Tatisha reached out with both hands and began to tidy Renee’s appearance. She ran her fingers three or four times through Renee’s hair, which was neatly done in a half-updo today, and checked her makeup—which had been kept to a minimum to avoid repeating yesterday’s disaster.

 

Tatisha gestured to Adonis as if to say it was finished now. Adonis wore a somewhat displeased expression, but without delaying any further, he opened the door.

 

Stepping down first, Adonis extended his palm. It was right when Renee placed her hand carefully onto his large palm and took a step out of the carriage.

 

“My Lady…! It’s Lady Sainer!”

 

“My Lady! You are beautiful!”

 

As if they had been waiting, compliments began to pour out from the crowd in competition with one another. Renee felt like an actress walking the red carpet, taking her remaining step forward.

 

In short, she felt like she was going to die of embarrassment. Such excessive attention. In reality, she would never have received such a moment in her entire life.

 

Entering the cafe with her entire body flushed bright red like a radish, Renee mingled among the employees who had already arrived and were doing their respective tasks. Everyone worked busily and quickly finished the opening preparations.

 

“We will begin the second day of operations for the Sainer Cafe—”

 

Along with the floor staff’s announcement, the customers standing at the very front of the line flooded in. At a glance, there seemed to be even more people inside and outside the cafe than yesterday, but perhaps because they had been severely tested the day before, all the staff members looked quite determined as they focused on their assigned duties.

 

Just then, a group of noble ladies walked inside.

 

“Welcome. I will guide you to your seats.”

 

Hearing the employee’s greeting, Renee paused her coffee-brewing actions for a moment and glanced at them sideways. Adorned in clothing and jewelry that all looked incredibly expensive, they somehow exuded an atmosphere entirely different from the other customers.

 

While they observed her working in the kitchen with curious gazes just like everyone else, their eyes didn’t hold the amusement or novelty of seeing the ruler’s wife up close.

 

Yet, it wasn’t the unpleasant, disapproving gaze of certain nobles who looked down on a foolish duchy countess making a fuss about starting a business, either.

 

It was, so to speak…

 

“Uh…?”

 

Lost in thought, Renee opened her mouth and let out a sound without realizing it. As the final member of the party entered the cafe, waving to acknowledge the noble ladies who had secured seats in advance, her face was incredibly familiar.

 

It was the woman in the orange cloak from last night.

 

Today, wearing a dark green dress beneath an alluring wine-colored cloak, she peeled off her gloves—which matched the color of her cloak—and slowly surveyed the cafe.

 

The woman’s eyes met Renee’s. As if she had come to the cafe specifically to meet Renee, she bowed her head with a welcoming look in her eyes.

 

When Renee responded with a smile, the woman walked toward the counter. Renee set down the strainer and cup she was holding, then casually wiped her wet hands against her apron.

 

“We meet again, Lady Sainer.”

 

The woman placed her hand lightly over her left breast and bowed her head in a formal greeting. Wafting a scent of spice that felt a bit strong, the woman added, “I am Meg of the House of Valond.”

 

Meg Valond. Hearing the woman’s name, Renee was startled. As the original author, it was impossible for her not to know the character named Meg Valond.

 

The wife of Marquis Jason Valond—an official of Sainer Castle who oversaw the kingdom’s construction and transportation projects—she was a figure hailed as the flower of high society. Almost every noble lady in the Hebaron Kingdom, as well as neighboring kingdoms, knew her.

 

“It is an honor to exchange greetings like this. I am Reneezmia Sainer.”

 

Renee observed Meg closely as they shook hands. Possessing a wealth of yellowish-green hair elegantly pinned up, she was a beauty with eyes of the exact same color.

 

Perhaps it would be more fitting to call her handsome. Her large, distinct features—especially her sharp nose bridge and thick eyebrows—strongly evoked the image of a handsome, mature gentleman.

 

Meg, whose appearance was far more striking in many ways than when she had seen her on the dark street last night, looked around the cafe interior for a moment. Then, she spoke to Renee.

 

“Could you spare us just a brief moment of your time, My Lady?”

 

She added with a smile, “I would like to make some brief introductions.”

 

Renee scanned the five noble ladies sitting at the table one by one, including Meg. If these were women close enough to visit a cafe with Meg Valond, making their acquaintance today might prove helpful in some way down the road.

 

“Very well.”

 

Renee replied cheerfully, pulling out a chair to sit down herself. Meg began to introduce the four noble ladies one by one, excluding herself.

 

They were all prominent figures in society; three of the women were members of prestigious noble families. The remaining one was a commoner, but she was the wife of Paul Richmond, a shipping tycoon and the wealthiest man in the Hebaron Kingdom.

 

A woman’s sociability transcends time and space. The slightly awkward initial atmosphere dissolved rapidly once they learned one another’s names, and the six women, including Renee, began to blossom into conversation as if they were decade-long friends.

 

“Because I lived almost locked away inside the castle from a young age, I had no one I could truly call a friend except for the maidservants,” Renee said.

 

At her words, the noble ladies simultaneously wore pitiful expressions. Frances, the wife of Paul Richmond, patted Renee’s shoulder with a hand clad in a glossy silk glove.

 

“For such a beautiful and young lady to not have a single friend, how tragic…”

 

clasping her two hands together after trailing off with a thoroughly downcast face, she suddenly raised her voice like a scatterbrain.

 

“If it pleases My Lady, it would be wonderful if you could join us for tea!”

 

As if seeking agreement, she looked back and forth between the noble ladies on either side of her.

 

“To tell you the truth, we all gather to have a tea time together early every Wednesday morning around dawn,” Meg added to the explanation.

 

“Is that so!”

 

“Yes. Today, we gathered to have tea just like any other Wednesday morning, but I made a sudden proposal. I suggested that today, we drink coffee and converse here at the Sainer Cafe.”

 

Finishing her sentence, Meg wore a smile that felt strangely nuanced.

 

“May I ask why?”

 

“First, because it is a business started for the first time within Sainer Castle, I was curious. Second, if there is a greater reason…”

 

Pausing her words, Meg lifted her coffee cup with a composed expression to wet her throat. Parting her lips, which were painted in a reddish-brown hue, she continued.

 

“I was curious about what happened last night.”

 

“Ah…”

 

Letting out a sound close to a sigh, Renee quickly wore a troubled face. By last night’s event, she was undoubtedly referring to the murder in Pomfritz Square.

 

All five noble ladies were watching Renee with expressions that anticipated an answer. Frances even leaned her upper body far forward toward Renee, her eyes sparkling.

 

Renee twirled the tips of her hair, expressing her dilemma. It was a case where the investigation hadn’t even properly begun yet. Furthermore, she knew all too well that even if an investigation started, one shouldn’t go around blabbing about it to the entire neighborhood before the results were out.

 

“They say the only son of the Mason family is the culprit, right? Chubby Mason.”

 

“……!”

 

Startled by the culprit’s name suddenly ring out, Renee looked at the party responsible for bringing it up. The countess, who had introduced herself as the daughter of a count’s family and the wife of an official working in Sainer Castle, continued with an unbothered face.

 

“I heard that since childhood, he used to commit dreadful acts like striking neighborhood stray cats to death with stones. It’s only a pity for the victim. George McGree. He lived in poverty his entire life and his circumstances had only recently begun to ease up a bit, right?”

 

Renee didn’t even think to hide her further astonished expression.

 

It was an unbelievable situation. Not only did she know Chubby Mason’s name, but she even knew the name and circumstances of the victim—details that even Renee, the original author, had forgotten.

 

“How do you know that…” Renee asked the woman in a tone close to a monologue.

 

Seeing Renee visibly shocked, the woman curled the corners of her mouth and let out a small chuckle.

 

Then, she replied with an indifferent face.

 

“Shall we call it the sole hobby of women who have nothing but money and time? Exchanging news regarding intriguing incidents occurring inside and outside the kingdom.”

 

She raised one eyebrow and added, “Faster than anyone else, that is.”

 

When her words finished, the noble ladies gathered around the table smiled in unison. It was a face that felt relaxed yet somehow triumphant.

 

If noble men lived inside the castle and worked on the front lines, the role of their wives was to cross inside and outside the castle to solidify networks.

 

Utilizing the human relationships built in that manner, they grasped large and small matters occurring within and outside the kingdom. Information power played an important role in maintaining their husbands’ power and multiplying their family’s wealth.

 

She called it merely a hobby, but it was in fact something far beyond a hobby. Perhaps they even knew pieces of information their husbands were oblivious to.

 

Only now did Renee understand the true nature of the distinctly different atmosphere that had drifted from them the moment they opened the cafe door and entered. Perhaps they had come to grasp everything related to this place, including herself, the proprietor of Sainer Cafe.

 

‘Somehow, it makes me nervous.’

 

Renee straightened her waist for no reason, correcting her posture. She felt exactly like a job applicant sitting across from strict interviewers.

 

‘In any case, it’s amazing. No matter how well they know the happenings inside and outside the kingdom, to know an incident that hasn’t even been a day old in such detail.’

 

After pondering for a moment, Renee asked the woman.

 

“Could I perhaps ask your name again? Because I was introduced to everyone all at once, I temporarily forgot which house you belong to.”

 

At Renee’s words, the woman narrowed her eyes slightly for some reason and laughed.

 

“My Lady has not forgotten. I only introduced myself as the daughter of a count’s family and the wife of a man working as an official in Sainer Castle; I did not state my name.”

 

“Ah, now that you mention it, I remember. Could you tell me your family and name?”

 

The woman stared intently at Renee with an unreadable expression, remaining silent for a brief moment. Then, she slowly opened her mouth.

 

“It is Sadina Haksen.”

 

Sadina Haksen. Hearing her name, Renee desperately concealed her shocked demeanor.

 

Her husband, who was said to be working as an official in Sainer Castle, was Galael Haksen. In other words, he was the villain in the original work.

 

She recalled him, the man who had opposed her and raised objections with a displeased face throughout the entire process of opening the cafe. A man who always wore a mysterious expression and spoke sarcastically in a creepy, metallic voice.

 

What kind of character was his wife, Sadina Haksen? Her significance in the original work wasn’t large, but she was a woman who was not only just as greedy as her husband, but would also use any means necessary to obtain what she desired.

 

“It seems my husband, Lord Haksen, is not performing his role properly.”

 

“Pardon?”

 

At Sadina’s sudden words, Renee asked back before she could even hide her flustered state. At Renee’s exceedingly transparent reaction, Sadina covered her mouth with her hand and let out a small, muffled laugh.

 

“I say this because I saw dark clouds cast over My Lady’s beautiful face the moment you heard my name.”

 

Unlike Renee, who was further flustered, Sadina added with a consistently relaxed smile, “Do not be so startled, My Lady. It is a reaction I frequently encounter whenever I introduce myself as Lord Haksen’s wife.”

 

Sadina had been participating in the conversation in a consistently cheerful tone, but Renee could not do the same. This was not simply due to a difference in personality. Rather, it felt as though she was thoroughly being outmatched in terms of sheer presence and experience.

 

“My Lady.”

 

Meg, who had remained quiet for a while, called out to Sadina.

 

“The rest of us may have been close for a long time, but this is our first time meeting the Grand Duchess of Sainer. You are being far too mischievous.”

 

Though her tone was gentle, Meg’s words carried a sharp edge. The fact that she intentionally referred to Renee as the ‘Grand Duchess’ was undoubtedly to point out Sadina’s discourtesy.

 

At Meg’s words, Sadina’s expression stiffened ever so briefly as she lowered her gaze, but she soon raised her face again with a faint smile.

 

Then, as if acknowledging her mistake, she nodded slowly.

 

“I suppose I committed an impropriety because I was eager to quickly grow close to the Grand Duchess. Please be understanding, Lady Sainer.”

 

Sadina placed her hand over her heart and bowed toward Renee with proper etiquette.

 

To think she would accept Meg’s words so instantly. In terms of rank, Sadina—as the wife of Duke Haksen—was higher than Meg, the wife of Marquis Valond. Yet, it seemed Meg possessed a type of power that rank alone could not fully explain.

 

Sadina’s sudden apology made Renee feel all the more flustered. Nevertheless, trying her best not to let it show, Renee accepted her apology.

 

“By the way, you mentioned earlier that you came because you were curious about last night’s events,” Renee said, shifting the atmosphere. “I am sorry, but I also know nothing about the case, so there is no information I can provide.”

 

A brief silence followed her words.

 

And then, pfft. Starting with someone’s snicker, all five noble ladies burst into soft laughter.

 

Renee blinked with a clueless expression.

 

‘What? Why is everyone laughing?’

 

It was Meg who answered her unspoken question.

 

“We did not come here to obtain information about the murder case from you, My Lady.”

 

“But didn’t you tell me you came because you were curious about last night?”

 

“Lady Sainer. What we are curious about is not who the culprit of the murder is, or why he committed the crime.”

 

Meg’s voice, which was already on the lower side, sank even lower and grew quiet. As she paused briefly, the other four noble ladies all leaned their upper bodies closer to the table.

 

The atmosphere felt as if they had already discussed a certain story among themselves—one that only Renee was excluded from. Like children listening to a highly fascinating tale, the women’s eyes sparkled.

 

“In that dark alleyway where you stood with me for a brief moment last night, do you remember the monologue you muttered to yourself?”

 

“No, I do not remember. What did I say…?” Renee’s voice trailed off, her expression filled with confusion. She truly could not remember.

 

Meg glanced around the bustling surroundings once before slightly covering her mouth with her hand. Then, she spoke in a very small voice.

 

“Wait. If he is missed here, six more victims will be created in the future.”

 

“What on earth does that… gasp.”

 

As Renee traced back through her memories and let out an audible gasp of shock, Meg curled the corners of her mouth with a rather satisfied face. She had realized that Renee had remembered last night’s event.

 

‘Crazy, crazy! I thought I only thought it to myself, but I actually spoke it out loud!’

 

The remaining four noble ladies, who had been watching Renee’s reaction intently, wore newly astonished expressions. When they had first heard the story from Meg, they had been half-doubting it.

 

“Oh my goodness. Lady Valond’s story was actually true!”

 

Frances, the wife of Paul Richman, bounced in her seat as if about to leap up.

 

“Grand Duchess! We heard that after you said those words, you ran toward the Pomfritz riverbank and caught the culprit just like that. How on earth did you discern the culprit’s identity even before Grand Duke Sainer, and what do you mean by saying six more victims would be made if he was missed? Please tell us!”

 

Frances was as excited as a child begging for the conclusion of a highly intriguing yet terrifying fairy tale. When Renee remained silent, Frances even grabbed Renee’s hands, gathering them together and shaking them to urge her on.

 

“My Lady. Shh.”

 

Meg placed her index finger to her lips, restraining Frances. Indeed, because of Frances’s fuss, the customers at the surrounding tables were beginning to glance over here one by one.

 

Renee reflexively pressed a hand to her forehead. If it weren’t for the many watching eyes, she felt like tearing all her hair out.

 

‘What should I do? Should I just gloss it over by saying I was flustered and spouted nonsense? No. Then how do I explain catching the culprit?’

 

She had thought convincing Ricard was the only problem. To think such a massive mountain was blocking her path here.

 

Renee looked around at the faces of the five noble ladies waiting for her answer. Each and every one of them looked incredibly formidable, as if they wouldn’t allow even the slightest slip-up.

 

If she gave them a hollow answer or an excuse, she would undoubtedly arouse their suspicion.

 

“Have you perhaps heard of the word ‘intuition’?”

 

At Renee’s eccentric question, the women, including Meg, knit their brows in unison.

 

“To break it down, you can understand it as having an excellent gut feeling. Since childhood, I have often suddenly realized truths that no one else knew, and secret stories that someone was only harboring inside their mind would distinctly echo to me like spoken words.”

 

There was no way she could convince them with such an absurd and flimsy story. In fact, all the women gathered around the table wore ambiguous expressions, as if their doubts were not resolved in the slightest.

 

“I do not quite understand. Simply because your intuition is good, you caught a culprit, and simply because your intuition is good, you even predicted casualties that might occur in the future… Furthermore, My Lady, you are not a cleric who has received a divine oracle, so what truths are you realizing and what secrets are you hearing…?”

 

Meg’s voice trailed off, her face thick with suspicion.

 

“Rather, I would find it more believable if you said your remark about six more victims being made was merely a slip of the tongue.”

 

All the other women nodded in agreement. Meg continued with a stern expression.

 

“I know it is rude to say this, Lady Sainer. But you mentioned future victims, of all things. It is not as if you met the murderer beforehand and heard his plans.”

 

Though she was speaking politely and indirectly, Meg was doubting Renee.

 

‘Well, it is a situation where it wouldn’t be strange to be suspected of colluding with the murderer.’

 

A sense of crisis washed over her. If she aroused the suspicion of the central figures of high society, there was no telling what kind of backlash it would bring. Furthermore, wasn’t the wife of Garael Haksen—the man who constantly viewed her as a thorn in his side—among them?

 

If so, there was only one way to quell the suspicion.

 

“It is only natural that you do not believe me. Then, how about a story like this?”

 

Renee paused for a moment. She saw the faces waiting for her next words, filled with disbelief and wariness.

 

“When Lady Meg Valond was still a young girl. Your mother, who possessed beautiful golden eyes, was watering the flowerbed in the yard one day when she said to you…”

 

Renee swallowed hard. Meg wore an expression of utter surprise at the fact that her mother had been brought up.

 

Staring into Meg’s eyes as she waited for the next words with her senses fully heightened, Renee spoke again.

 

“Meg. I hope that you will live a life like the earth that endures beneath them, rather than like these flowers that will wither away at any moment.”

 

The moment Renee finished speaking, Meg gasped in literal horror and covered her mouth. Then, she completely lost her words.

 

The other four women, who had likely thought Renee was spouting nonsense or making up inconsistent excuses to smooth over the situation, altered their expressions one by one upon seeing Meg’s reaction.

 

“How could you know a story I have never told anyone…!”

 

Meg lamented in a voice that felt barely dragged up from the depths of her throat. It was the first time she had lost her composure since Renee had met her.

 

It was only natural. For Meg, it would be difficult to believe that a third party like Renee knew an anecdote about her mother that she had never shared with anyone else.

 

However, that story had actually been born from the fingertips of Renee, the original author. In creating the character of Meg Valond—a woman who stepped out of her household to actively engage in matters inside and outside her family—the preceding scene was of utmost importance.

 

The words she had heard from her mother during her childhood were the very sentence sustaining the current Meg.

 

In truth, the line ‘I hope you live like the earth, not the flowers’ was a phrase Renee had wanted to say to herself back when she was writing this novel.

 

Frances, who kept looking back and forth between Meg and Renee several times, asked in a highly agitated voice, “Lady Valond. Is the Grand Duchess’s story true? Is it correct that the Grand Duchess knows the words your late mother spoke to you in the past?!”

 

As if she didn’t even have the energy to voice an answer, Meg merely nodded her head.

 

“This makes no sense!” Frances shook her head, an expression of utter disbelief on her face.

 

‘Yes, it makes no sense. But if we’re talking about things that make no sense, my living here in this trailing dress, fluttering my red hair under the name Reneezmia Dainis, is the start of it all.’

 

Renee, who had been sitting on pins and needles like a prisoner undergoing interrogation, rapidly regained her composure. Her next target was Frances Richman.

 

“When you and Lord Richman first set up your newlywed home, My Lady, you had a severe argument over the color of the wallpaper, did you not? You desired a fierce red palette like the burning sun, while Lord Richman wanted a blue palette like the sea.”

 

Frances practically shrieked as she bolted up from her seat. The gazes of the customers simultaneously showered down upon her, but she paid them no mind.

 

Now, three people remained. Among them, excluding Sadina, the other two individuals were extras so minor that Renee couldn’t even recall their details well despite hearing their names, so she passed on them.

 

Renee faced Sadina, who was looking at her with eyes swirling with astonishment and wariness.

 

“Lady Haksen.”

 

When Renee called her, Sadina realized it was her turn and her expression hardened rapidly. She looked deeply terrified of what story about her might come out of Renee’s mouth.

 

“As for the stories related to you and the remaining two ladies, I know nothing separate. It is not as if I know the secrets of every single person inside out.”

 

At Renee’s words, the other two women looked somewhat disappointed for some reason, but a wave of relief rapidly washed over Sadina’s face.

 

Having finally finished speaking, Renee took a sip of her coffee to wet her throat.

 

The faces of the five women, which had been filled with a shred of curiosity and deep suspicion, were now displaying intense emotions mixed with awe, admiration, and a bit of fear.

 

“It is truly a marvelous thing.”

 

Meg, who had finally regained some of her composure, spoke. Just then, one of the floor staff approached the table with extreme hesitation.

 

“I am truly sorry, Lady Sainer. Guests from the Janox Temple have arrived. I guided them to that table over by the window, but I thought you might need to greet them personally…”

 

The young-faced employee was looking exceedingly troubled at the fact that she had dared to interrupt the conversation of noble ladies. Renee turned her head to look at the window the employee was pointing to. Four people wearing navy blue priestly robes were sitting across from one another, bathed in the pouring sunlight.

 

Theon was not visible, but they were all people who worked at the temple. Therefore, it was only polite for her to welcome them directly.

 

“Dear me. It seems we have monopolized too much of your time,” Meg said, quickly grasping the situation. Renee offered a apologetic expression.

 

“It is a pity, but I think we must take our leave now.”

 

“Of course! Go ahead, My Lady. Today isn’t the only day, is it?”

 

Frances, who had instantly regained her cheerfulness, affectionately patted Renee’s shoulder with a gesture urging her to get up. As Renee stood up from her seat, the noble ladies simultaneously lifted themselves to see her off.

 

To think they were seeing her off as if she were departing for a neighboring kingdom, when she was merely going from this table to that table. It was a completely transformed attitude from the beginning, when they had felt like interviewers or judges.

 

As she crossed the hall, a single question popped into Renee’s mind.

 

‘For now, I seem to have escaped the crisis. But did I do well?’

 

It felt like she had spoken far too much. Was there truly no other way?

 

‘To suddenly realize truths that no one knows and hear secret stories that haven’t been confided to anyone… Instead of spouting such absurd nonsense, I should have just said I had a prophetic dream. Or that I received a divine calling and decided to walk the path of a cleric… Argh. No. Forget it, forget it!’

 

What’s done is done; there was no recovering spilled water. She decided not to worry about the past any longer.

 

A sudden worry reared its head regarding what would happen if rumors spread. However, since all five noble ladies considered maintaining their dignity to be of utmost importance, their mouths wouldn’t be that loose.

 

‘What choice do I have? I’ll just have to believe so.’

 

Even if they blabbed about today’s events to the entire neighborhood and rumors spread throughout the kingdom, so what? It was better than absurd rumors spreading that she and the murderer, Chubby Mason, were intimate enough for her to know how many more people he intended to kill.

 

***

 

Following the morning, the afternoon hours passed like a flash, and before she knew it, it was dusk. Today, the inner kitchen responsible for desserts was also wrapping up early as they had run out of ingredients.

 

Brad, the head chef, was scribbling something on a piece of paper with a expression that showed he was racking his brains. He was in the middle of revising the list and quantities of necessary ingredients once again.

 

“Is there some sort of problem?”

 

Taking a brief moment of leisure while the coffee was brewing, Renee asked casually. Brad let out a deep sigh, as if he had been waiting to confide his worries to anyone.

 

“My Lady. I have decades of experience as a chef. Yet, this is my first time experiencing a situation where my estimates have been thwarted to this extent.”

 

“It’s entirely understandable. The number of people dining inside our Sainer Castle is fixed, but the number of people stepping over the threshold of this Sainer Cafe is not. Furthermore, it is only natural that grasping each of their palates is close to impossible.”

 

Renee offered a smile filled with comfort. Despite that, a solution didn’t seem to present itself easily, and Brad let out another frustrated sigh.

 

“I think even preparing twice the amount we originally thought won’t be enough. Twice the flour. Twice the chocolate, the dried oranges, the sugar-preserved wild raspberries, every single kind of fruit and nut—even the sugar will all have to be doubled!”

 

He scratched the back of his neck roughly, raising his voice with a flushed face.

 

He was flustered to the point of distraction, but on the other hand, he also looked exceedingly proud.

 

It was only natural. There could be no greater joy than seeing many people thoroughly enjoying the food one had worked hard to create with one’s own hands.

 

That was also an emotion she herself had been feeling while running the business for a mere two days. Though she couldn’t fully savor it yet because she was tightly wound up, it was a gentle sense of satisfaction.

 

Just then, the outside became slightly rowdy. The voices of flustered people could be heard, and subsequently, the cafe door opened.

 

The person entering along with the cheerful ring of the bell was Ricard, accompanied by a party of five. The moment her eyes met his, Renee was slightly startled and hurriedly dropped her gaze.

 

This was because today’s morning events came to mind. That is, what happened after he had commanded her to ‘take it off’ with an exceedingly unyielding face!

 

Because she had been busy with work and her mind had been occupied by the visit of Meg Valond and the noble ladies, she had temporarily forgotten.

 

As that intense incident from the morning came to mind, she felt as though the skin over her entire body was instantly roasting bright red. Hurriedly dropping her gaze, Renee tried her best not to pay mind to Ricard’s presence and focused intently on her work.

 

“…My Lady.”

 

Joanna, who was moving busily to prepare drinks, called out to Renee in a rather serious voice.

 

“Yes, Joanna. Why?”

 

“What are you doing?”

 

“Huh? I’m roasting coffee?”

 

For some reason, there was no returning answer. Renee turned her head to look at Joanna. The girl spoke with an absurd expression.

 

“How can you roast coffee when there is no coffee?”

 

“Eh?”

 

With a blank expression, Renee checked the wooden paddle in her hand and the pan placed over the fire.

 

“Oh dear.”

 

It was exactly as she said; the pan was completely empty. Only the remnants left over from roasting coffee several times were burning black against the bottom of the pan.

 

Because she had been flustered by Ricard’s appearance, she had been waving the paddle around in thin air. Though she rushed to turn off the fire, the pan, heated without any contents, rapidly began to emit black smoke.

 

A burnt smell spread in an instant. The customers sitting close to the counter covered their noses one by one and scanned the kitchen.

 

“My, my.”

 

Above the crown of Renee’s head—as she was busily washing the burnt pan—Ricard’s voice dropped heavily. Renee snapped her head up.

 

Ricard, who had already reached the front of the counter before she knew it, was standing with his arms crossed, peering inside the kitchen. Everyone working in the kitchen discovered him and offered a greeting in unison.

 

Ricard waved one hand carelessly, as if to say that was enough and they should carry on with their work.

 

“Give it to me, My Lady.”

 

Joanna took the pan from Renee. Renee wiped her wet hands against her apron and stood before the counter connected to the kitchen.

 

This was the first time they were facing each other like this since he had entered the cafe.

 

“…What brings you here?”

 

Ricard let out a hollow laugh, as if he found it absurd.

 

“I came with my own feet to my own place of business, which I set up using my own money and my own people. Is there a problem?”

 

Renee shut her mouth tight and pressed down on her lower lip. She even kicked the floor with her foot for no reason.

 

‘How obnoxious.’

 

She had known it all along, but truly… he had a talent for saying the right things in the most obnoxious manner.

 

“When are you going to take my order?”

 

Standing askew, Ricard uncrossed his arms and asked. His hair slicked back without a single strand out of place, and his crisply ironed dress shirt collar looked exceptionally obnoxious today!

 

“Would you like to order?”

 

Renee merely curled the corners of her mouth, putting on a business smile.

 

“If I order, will I be able to consume it and leave safely?”

 

“Pardon?”

 

“It would be quite a sight if you burned down the entire kitchen.”

 

Ricard gestured with his chin toward the pan Joanna had just finished washing and turned over, taunting her sarcastically. At his words, Renee instantly felt wronged.

 

“I didn’t make a single mistake throughout the entire morning and afternoon today. It’s only because the Grand Duke arrived without a word that I was startled into doing that!”

 

“You didn’t make a single mistake?”

 

Ricard crossed his arms again and narrowed his eyes. Tilting his head to one side as if that couldn’t possibly be true, he scanned Renee up and down.

 

“Yes! I didn’t drop a single coffee bean!”

 

Despite Renee’s protest, Ricard did not withdraw his deeply suspicious expression.

 

“Is that true?”

 

The object of his question was Adonis. Adonis, who had been standing silently behind her, answered in an exceedingly businesslike tone.

 

“At approximately 9:00 AM, she broke one glass cup, and at approximately 1:00 PM, while attempting to head up to the second floor in a hurry, she missed her footing on the stairs and nearly tumbled backward. After finishing lunch with the staff, at approximately 4:00 PM…”

 

A vein popped on Renee’s forehead. She glared at Adonis with resentful eyes, but his expression did not change in the slightest.

 

“Stoppit.”

 

As she spoke through gritted teeth, Adonis pushed up his glasses and shrugged his shoulders lightly. When Adonis looked at Ricard as if seeking his permission, Ricard nodded his head to indicate that was enough.

 

“Good grief. Is lying a habit for you?”

 

With an embarrassed face, Renee closed her lips. Ricard shook his head before speaking.

 

“Give me the drink that comes out the fastest. Five cups.”

 

Behind his back, his companions were currently sitting down at the innermost table of the hall under the guidance of an employee. She could not comprehend the reason why a man who never did tedious and trivial matters with his own hands was personally placing a coffee order.

 

“Are you not going to do business?”

 

Ricard urged Renee, half-playfully and half-annoyed. Yes. First and foremost, this was a place of business, so it was right to conduct business.

 

“The cold coffee made with goat’s milk and ice is the best-selling, but it takes a little time to cool down, so I will give you warm black coffee.”

 

Ricard nodded his head once with an expression that said it didn’t matter either way, then thrust out his right hand. For a split second, she wondered if he was trying to shake hands, but what he handed over was the money corresponding to the coffee price.

 

“What are you doing? Take it.”

 

“No, why are you paying…?”

 

“It’s leaving my pocket and returning to my pocket anyway, so just take it.”

 

When Renee consistently wore a face that showed she couldn’t understand, Ricard opened his mouth with an expression that showed he was too lazy to explain.

 

“I don’t want to act like a financial backer who tactlessly barges into a business and makes the employees uncomfortable, so just take it. It means treat me as a customer.”

 

‘If that was your intention, you shouldn’t have come here in the first place, you tactless man…’ Renee answered inwardly. If she had just a bit more courage, she would have said it out loud.

 

Indeed, the moment Ricard appeared, not to mention the cafe employees, everyone in this place was walking on eggshells around him.

 

“Since you’re even paying like this, it really feels like you’re playing house with me.”

 

Pouting her lips, Renee reached out her hand to take the money. Ricard extended his hand a bit further as if to meet her halfway.

 

The moment she received the money from him.

 

His index finger lightly brushed against Renee’s palm, tap, tap.

 

As Renee jolted and twitched her hand in surprise, this time he went so far as to lightly pinch her palm with his thumb and index finger.

 

“What do you think you’re—! …doing.”

 

Instantly raising her voice, Renee lowered her tone as she became conscious of her surroundings. Ricard smirked with a face like a mischievous young boy.

 

Renee lowered her head for no reason and wrote down five cups of black coffee and the received amount in the ledger in sequence. Her palm, which his touch had brushed against ever so briefly, tickled unbearably.

 

“It barely grazed you, but I suppose it was quite stimulating?”

 

Ricard, who was exceptionally persistent today, teased Renee without giving her any room to catch her breath. Renee could not even think to hide her face, which had turned as bright red as a roasted sweet potato.

 

That is to say, the problematic morning of today. Ricard, who had barged into Renee’s room out of nowhere and told her to strip, but had added that he would personally apply the healing medicine to the wounds she had sustained while scuffling with Chubby Mason on the ship last night.

 

In his hand, he actually held a small ceramic container. When he twisted the lid open, the ointment inside wafted a peculiar scent throughout the room.

 

When Renee reached out her hand to receive the ointment, saying she would apply it herself, Ricard had simply hoisted his hand high into the air. Then, he had said with a stern expression that it was a highly potent medicine that only knights going out to the battlefield could use, and an exact amount must be applied. If applied insufficiently, it would have no effect, and if applied excessively, the flesh could rot as a side effect, so he would apply it himself!

 

“If you go and sit down, I will bring the drinks to you.”

 

Finishing her recollection, Renee murmured while avoiding Ricard’s gaze. At that, he rested both hands on the counter and leaned his face close to hers.

 

Renee flinched and drew her head back. She wasn’t the only one startled by his sudden action.

 

All the employees working in the kitchen were entirely unable to focus on their work. It was only natural. Since none other than Ricard Sainer was standing right under their noses like a backer who had come to inspect, flaunting his presence to this extent.

 

Seeing that sight made her a little angry. To think he would come all the way here and disrupt the employees just to tease her. Wasn’t this strictly an obstruction of business?

 

“However, Grand Duke. I’m asking out of curiosity. It seems you are more free than I thought?”

 

“What kind of novel bullshit is this? I’m free?”

 

“Is it not so? Seeing how you came all the way here at a time when everyone is in the middle of working, just to harass me.”

 

Because her emotions were fully invested, even her voice trembled minutely. Ricard, who had lost his words for a moment, glared at her with smoldering eyes.

 

“I truly do not know what kind of human being you take me for. I’ve been at the scene all day to investigate last night’s incident, and I merely dropped by for a brief moment.”

 

“…….”

 

“Furthermore, harassment.”

 

Rather than looking angry, Ricard looked a bit hollow. Seeing him like that, a apologetic feeling crept up within her.

 

“I told you. The healing medicine must be applied at least twice a day.”

 

“Ah…” Renee let out a quiet sigh.

 

This morning, she had ultimately refused to take off her clothes. There was no way she could allow his hands to touch various parts of her body to apply the ointment.

 

However, as the wounds were deep enough that parts of her dress were soaked in blood, Ricard had also been quite unyielding. After such a tense tug-of-war, they had temporarily postponed it, agreeing to divide the application into two times: the afternoon and the night, rather than immediately in the morning.

 

From the inner pocket of his outdoor attire, Ricard pulled out the container holding the ointment to show her. It was a mystery why he was suddenly acting the part of a husband who terribly cherished his wife!

 

“…I am grateful for the sentiment, but as you can see, work is very busy…”

 

“Quiet. Do you think I came without knowing that closing time is soon?”

 

“…….”

 

“I have to return to the scene soon anyway. So when work is finished, close the cafe doors and let’s talk inside for a moment.”

 

Ricard slipped the medicine container back into his pocket and turned around. Halting as he headed toward his companions, he turned his head halfway and said: “Whether it be in the hall, inside the dressing room, on the top floor of the cafe, or outdoors. I shall let you choose the location according to your taste.”

 

Finishing his words with a deliberate pull at the corners of his mouth, he leisurely crossed the hall.

 

The time remaining until closing was a mere hour. To think she had to be reduced to her undergarments before him with absolutely no way out.

 

‘I should have just let the entire shop burn down earlier.’

 

 

***

 

 

The darkness of the night had completely settled outside the cafe window. The trees in the garden caught the moonlight, casting long, stark shadows across the hall.

 

Having personally seen off the last of the customers, Renee placed a doorstop to keep the cafe door propped open for ventilation as she walked back inside. The hall staff were moving in perfect unison, wiping down tables, chairs, and the floor.

 

Brad, who was in charge of the inner kitchen, and Joanna, who ran the outer kitchen, were sitting across from each other at a single table. The two were locked in a heated discussion, reflecting on the past two days and brainstorming what needed to be improved.

 

“In our dessert department, more than anything else, we need to focus a lot more on ingredient prep. It’s at the point where we basically have to gauge our quantities as if every single citizen in the kingdom eats nothing but desserts for all three meals. How are things on the drink side, Joanna?”

 

Resting his chin in his hand, Brad’s cheeks were flushed bright red, and his broad forehead and thick bridge of his nose were slick with oil. His haggard appearance made it easy to guess just how much of a war zone the kitchen had been.

 

“We’re not much different, Head Chef. We’re short on both goat’s milk and ice, but honestly, the biggest problem is the coffee beans.”

 

Joanna replied, tucking her severely disheveled hair behind her ear as if she had just been in a hair-pulling brawl with someone. Her appearance, too, left no doubt about the sheer volume of labor she had endured today.

 

“We had roasted the coffee beans in advance, cooled them down, and prepared a whopping ten of those massive containers full of them. I thought that would last us at least a week, but we’ve already had to roast coffee beans on the spot today.”

 

“Right. Didn’t a fire almost break out earlier while roasting coffee beans? The smell of burning was practically vibrating through the air.”

 

The very culprit who had almost started the fire, Renee, was right in the middle of organizing the counter and opening up the ledger. At the words of Brad, who was entirely unaware of the situation, she felt a sudden stab of guilt as if she had been personally targeted.

 

“As you well know, you have to be careful with all kinds of hot things in the kitchen. Boiling water, heated pans, dough burning inside the oven. Before we open for business tomorrow, I’m going to gather all the kitchen staff and give them another warning. We’re trying to run a business here, not hold a funeral.”

 

Joanna nodded her head vigorously in agreement. Brad earnestly jotted down the points to note in the thick notebook he always carried around.

 

“Ahem.”

 

Renee let out a dry cough out of sheer embarrassment. At the sound, Joanna turned her head to look at Renee. When their eyes met, Joanna gently closed and opened one eye, flashing her a wink. It was a gesture reassuring her that she wouldn’t tattle.

 

Brad was a benevolent man with a warm impression, but when it came to work, he was an extremely strict head chef. Even Renee could not escape his scoldings completely; if she were caught as the culprit who had almost started a fire, she would undoubtedly get a piece of his mind right then and there.

 

Scratching her head and laughing awkwardly, Renee lowered her head again and examined the ledger.

 

The number of drinks sold today alone was a whopping 1,088 cups. If she added all the desserts that were ordered—at least two or three per table—they must have achieved an astronomical sales figure in just a single day.

 

Of course, this was all thanks to the massive scale of the shop, which practically rivaled a ballroom, and the dozens of staff members. Furthermore, since there were no separate labor costs to pay out, everything minus the cost of ingredients was pure net profit.

 

‘Now that I think about it, everyone here belongs to Ricard, so they’re working without even receiving minimum wage. What an absurd world system. It’s not like there’s a Department of Labor here either.’

 

Amused by the absurd thought, Renee rested her elbows on the counter and propped her chin in her hands. Since they had agreed to calculate expenses and sales to settle the accounts once a month, she could only roughly estimate for today, but at this rate, a massive hit was practically guaranteed.

 

Roughly speaking, if she worked for about half a year, the profits alone would probably be enough to open a second location somewhere in the kingdom.

 

‘Wait. A second location?’

 

Suddenly finding the flow of her own thoughts amusing, Renee let out a quiet chuckle. A second location. She had started this job under duress, yet she found it strange how genuinely invested she had become.

 

“My Lady.”

 

Just then, Tatisha called out to Renee as she descended the stairs from the second floor. Intricately balancing four or five trays and a mountain of plates, she looked as though she were performing a circus act.

 

“Yes, Tatisha.”

 

Renee quickly approached her to help divide and carry the trays. Tatisha dumped the trays and plates into the kitchen sink with a loud clatter and turned on the water.

 

Following Tatisha to the sink, Renee naturally tried to put on gloves to help wash the dishes. However, Tatisha stopped her.

 

Then, she whispered.

 

“The Grand Duke has requested that you finish up quickly and come upstairs. He is waiting inside the staff lounge.”

 

What was bound to come had finally come. Renee nodded with an expression that felt almost resolute.

 

Adonis, who had just closed his notebook, naturally attempted to follow behind Renee. This time, Tatisha stopped him.

 

“Sir Hayden, the Grand Duke mentioned that you may head home early.”

 

Adonis raised both of his eyebrows. Tatisha continued speaking as she put on her gloves.

 

“To be precise, this is what he said: ‘The married couple has some urgent matters to discuss between themselves in private, so do not let anyone enter the lounge.'”

 

Like a pilgrim who had quietly resolved to accept her given destiny, Renee calmly walked across the hall and began to climb the stairs.

 

The staff lounge was a space set up at the very end of the third-floor hallway. In terms of size, it was a spacious area about a quarter of the size of the first-floor hall.

 

Without much furniture, it held only two small beds, along with five round tables and chairs. The tables were placed for staff members who wished to eat inside the shop instead of going out to restaurants in the plaza, and the beds were brought in so they could briefly close their eyes during break times.

 

It was a space created by accommodating Renee’s suggestions, but because she herself had been unbelievably busy over the past two days, she had never even set foot inside.

 

Passing through the dimly lit hallway and standing before the door, Renee took a small, deep breath. Then, with a fluttering heart, she knocked on the door.

 

“Come in.”

 

Ricard’s voice carried through the crack of the door.

 

Creeeak—

 

The sound of the door opening felt terribly eerie for some reason.

 

Perhaps because he hadn’t turned on the lights, the inside of the lounge was dark. However, just like the first-floor hall, large windows were installed, allowing the light from outside to pour in.

 

Though it was dark, it was bright enough to easily discern what was in front of her. A bluish tint filled the space.

 

Ricard was sitting, leaning askew against the headboard of the bed. Whether he had been working while waiting for her, he held a stack of documents in his hands.

 

Renee walked toward him with hesitant steps.

 

“You look like you’re being sold off.”

 

Leaving a sharp observation, Ricard placed the stack of documents down by the bedside. As Renee came to a halt in front of the bed, he slowly straightened his back and sat up.

 

“Take it off.”

 

There was no introduction; he went straight to the main point. Renee nervously twiddled with the sleeves of her uniform.

 

“…Are you truly going to apply the ointment yourself, Grand Duke? I mean, is it absolutely necessary that you are the one to apply it?”

 

Ricard nodded his head as he pulled out the container holding the ointment.

 

“Unfortunately.”

 

“That truly is unfortunate.”

 

“If the wounds fester and something terrible happens, there would be nothing more unfortunate than that.”

 

“To be honest, if I told you that I am not actually that severely injured, would you believe me? If I said it’s just to the extent where I can get treated by the chief physician, Lord Wedson, and there’s no need to waste such precious ointment.”

 

“If you aren’t injured enough to use this precious ointment, then that’s a relief. So stop dragging your feet and take it off first. Wouldn’t I have to see it myself to judge?”

 

It was nothing short of an inescapable trap. No matter what logic she threw at him, his conclusion remained the same: Take off your clothes.

 

“I wasn’t saying that to scare you; your flesh really could rot away. Why else do you think I went through the trouble of coming all the way here?”

 

“I know that the flesh can rot.”

 

“Because that was the setting I came up with.”

 

Renee swallowed a sigh inwardly.

 

“You’ve probably never even been to a battlefield, so how do you know that?”

 

Ricard asked without even looking at Renee as he twisted open the lid of the container. When Renee didn’t answer, he lazily looked up at her and added, “I suppose you’ve dated a knight before?”

 

“Excuse me? Dated?”

 

“What makes you so surprised?”

 

“Dating… there is no way I could have done such a thing.”

 

“Why?”

 

“That’s because…”

 

Because the original Reneezmia was a frail woman suffering from consumption. Confined to her room all her life, there was no way she could have experienced something like dating.

 

After a brief hesitation, Renee replied quietly.

 

“Since childhood, my body was weak, so I spent most of my time inside my room.”

 

“Then how on earth did you manage to be friends with Priest Bernst?”

 

“Why is Priest Bernst suddenly brought up?”

 

Reaching her hands behind her back to lower the zipper of her uniform dress, Renee shot back in a disgruntled tone. Ricard merely shrugged his shoulders, watching her take off her clothes.

 

Once the waist tie was undone, nothing remained to support the dress. Renee, who had been holding the fabric of the dress at her chest with both hands, finally let go of her strength.

 

Slliddee…

 

As if shedding a skin, the dress tumbled down to Renee’s feet. Stranded in a translucent slip dress, the night light poured down over her snow-white body.

 

Her arms and legs were covered in torn scratches and deep bruises. It was to the point where she herself found it miraculous how she had endured the pain to work through the day.

 

“…What are you doing?”

 

Holding the medicine in his hands, Ricard remained completely motionless, prompting Renee to ask. Ricard merely looked up at her blankly with an unreadable expression.

 

“Do you truly think I came here just to apply some ointment?”

 

Only after a long silence did he ask.

 

“You were the one who said so, Grand Duke.”

 

“You’re unexpectedly naive.”

 

“…….”

 

Renee’s pupils dilated rapidly. One moment he said he came to apply the ointment, and the next he was asking if she really thought he had come just for that. What on earth were his true intentions?

 

She stared intently into his face to grasp the truth, but his expression remained close to an ambiguous blank slate. In this dark, enclosed room, even with his half-naked wife standing right in front of him, this man didn’t show a single hint of agitation.

 

Why was that? Seeing him like that caused an incomprehensible surge of emotion to well up from deep within Renee’s heart.

 

‘What is this feeling?’

 

Renee knitted her brows without realizing it. Standing before this boulder of a man in a slip dress that clearly revealed her skin underneath.

 

If anyone asked whether she felt even a shred of sexual desire toward her husband, the answer was, of course, no. However, this was a matter of pride.

 

They weren’t elderly people; they were a young man and woman in their prime, and a married couple at that. To be left entirely alone in a dark, enclosed room and yet remain so utterly dry and indifferent.

 

This was no different from standing a block of wood in front of him instead of a woman!

 

Whatever the reason Ricard had come here for, discerning his true intent had long been pushed to the back of her mind.

 

‘I don’t know what this emotion is, but I know for a fact that it feels awful.’

 

Biting her lip nervously, Renee was suddenly gripped by past memories.

 

Her real-life husband, Gong Jichan. When he came home from work, he would scan her up and down as if looking at discarded waste paper rolling on the street, before swiftly disappearing into his room.

 

She still vividly remembered the sharp gazes and words from back then, when he would openly insult her by saying she had gained weight after marriage. As the humiliation from that time resurfaced, her entire body flushed hot.

 

A plain face without a single pretty feature, and a body that likewise had nothing to boast of. Having never possessed an ounce of self-confidence and always filled with an inferiority complex and a sense of defeat, she had habitually slouched her shoulders wherever she went.

 

It was a memory she had temporarily forgotten while living under the shell of Reneezmia Dainis.

 

Living in another world as a completely different person, she had been accumulating experiences that brought about an unknown courage. She had done things she would never have dared to do originally, and she had raised her voice to assert herself in front of others.

 

However, it seemed the pain and shadow buried deep within her heart could not easily disappear. Because in the face of Ricard’s cold, dry gaze and attitude, the memories of reality unfolded before her eyes in an instant.

 

Like a single drop of water falling into a perfectly still puddle, the emotions that had been buried deep below splashed right back up.

 

‘But the current me is completely different from back then. Reneezmia Dainis is the daughter of a prestigious ducal family, and the greatest beauty in this entire world setting.’

 

She thoroughly scanned her own silhouette faintly reflected in the window. As if confirming with her own two eyes just how beautiful she was could silence the deep-seated anxiety in her heart.

 

The silhouette of Renee reflected in the dark window was, as expected, dazzlingly beautiful.

 

Crossing her arms in front of her, Renee slowly stroked down from her shoulder line to her forearms. She could directly feel her slender, soft, and straight-lined beautiful body contours.

 

And what about her breasts, softly meeting her palms? If a skilled painter were to draw the most enchanting woman’s body they could possibly depict, this shape of breasts would undoubtedly be the first thing they would paint.

 

She was such a beautiful woman. How could he remain so utterly indifferent with a woman like this right in front of him?

 

Unless he was impotent!

 

Meanwhile, Ricard was observing his wife’s rapidly changing expressions as if tracking them. It was clear that she was deeply upset about something, but he couldn’t begin to guess the reason.

 

Ultimately, Ricard set the ointment he was holding down onto the bed. While it was true that using more than the proper amount would cause severe side effects, there was no strict need for him to personally touch his wife’s body to apply it.

 

It was enough to let her know the correct amount and have her apply it herself. This morning, he had dropped by her room to check on her wounds, and while there, he had simply teased her a little.

 

And even now. Just as he had told Renee, the reason he had come here was not to apply the ointment.

 

He was on his way back from visiting the crime scene with an investigative team to look into last night’s murder. The fact that the blood-stained robe Renee had handed over belonged to Chubby Mason had already been proven during this morning’s investigation.

 

Most importantly, because of his own confession, all that remained for Chubby Mason was a trial. The outcome was already determined.

 

Murder would be dealt with severely. He would either face death in the exact manner he carried out his crime, or he would be forced into slave labor for the rest of his life, working for the kingdom.

 

‘The problem isn’t him. It’s Luke Shaw, that mysterious bastard.’

 

The creases between Ricard’s brows deepened. When Luke Shaw had first been brought in under Adonis’s command, he had merely thought of him as a nuisance trying to draw attention, or perhaps a drunk causing a ruckus.

 

However, the moment he learned that the man had escaped from the prison, the situation entered a completely new phase.

 

Even at this very moment, a single question dominated Ricard’s mind.

 

‘How on earth?’

 

There had been numerous jailbreaks since the founding of the kingdom, but those occurred before Ricard himself possessed governing authority. One of the very first things he did upon becoming the ruler of the Hebaron Kingdom was to overhaul the prison system.

 

In essence, Luke Shaw was the first jailbreaker since the prison of Sainer Castle had established its current system.

 

And now that things had turned out this way, his very first concern was his wife, Reneezmia.

 

While he hadn’t yet figured out how the man had escaped or what hidden agenda he harbored, the fact remained that he was the culprit caught while causing a disturbance at the cafe where she worked.

 

Was it not entirely possible that the bastard who escaped from prison was currently roaming freely somewhere in the kingdom?

 

What if he targeted the dead of night to visit the cafe again? And what if he caused harm to his wife?

 

It was a scenario so chilling that it brought goosebumps to his skin just thinking about it. That was why, the moment he concluded his schedule at the crime scene, he had headed straight here along with his companions.

 

The pretext was that he would treat them to coffee since they had worked hard to handle the emergency situation since last night. Over the several years they had worked together, they had only ever seen their commander glare, yell, and curse, never once displaying a shred of warmth. So when he led them to the cafe saying they had ‘worked hard,’ the investigators were all shocked out of their minds—but that wasn’t what mattered.

 

“May I ask you something?”

 

His wife, who had remained silent for a long time while repeatedly stroking her own body with trembling hands for some reason, finally spoke up. Clad in her snow-white slip dress, she was still trembling slightly.

 

Ricard nodded his head, gesturing for her to speak. Chewing on her lip out of habit, Renee opened her mouth.

 

“By any chance, that…”

 

Having barely managed to start, she hesitated, unable to bring herself to continue.

 

“What?”

 

Ricard asked, as if prodding her. However, Renee still couldn’t answer, merely fidgeting with her fingertips.

 

“As you well know, my patience is not that strong.”

 

“Yes. I know.”

 

For her to just bluntly agree like that…

 

Feeling somewhat displeased and slighted for some reason, Ricard silently smacked his lips.

 

“So, by any chance, that…”

 

Renee’s drifting gaze, unable to find its bearings, finally landed and stopped somewhere.

 

It was Ricard’s lower body—more accurately, right between his thighs.

 

Flustered, he unconsciously pulled his wide-spread thighs slightly closer together. Then, to avoid letting his embarrassment show, he deliberately raised his voice.

 

“Where exactly are you looking right now?”

 

“By any chance, is there a problem with your functionality down there?”

 

“What?”

 

He couldn’t even muster a hollow laugh out of sheer absurdity. After dropping a shocking question that was no different from a sudden punch to the gut, she stood there staring flatly right into his eyes with an entirely innocent face.

 

“W-what kind of absolute nonsense are you talking about?”

 

Ricard even stuttered, something entirely uncharacteristic of him, as he demanded to know the meaning behind her words.

 

“Think about it. Even if it was a loveless marriage, more than a full year has passed since we wed, yet you haven’t laid a single fingertip on my body, Grand Duke.”

 

“You should well know that I was deployed to the battlefield for the past year, making it impossible to return to the castle.”

 

“Of course I know that. But even after you returned from the war, we have never spent a single night together.”

 

Ricard’s face, which had been slightly flushed with bewilderment, cooled down ice-cold.

 

“You’re bringing up that story again.”

 

“…….”

 

“I told you before. The one who shrank back and retreated as if looking at a bug whenever my hand so much as brushed against her was you.”

 

Renee suddenly wore a deeply aggrieved expression.

 

“That’s because every time you laid a hand on my body, Grand Duke, you did nothing but mock or threaten me.”

 

It was truly going from bad to worse. The words spilling from his wife’s mouth were deeply grating on Ricard’s nerves.

 

A surge of anger rushed through him at her claim that he did nothing but mock or threaten her. However, as he tried to formulate a retort, no fitting answer came to mind.

 

Though he always found himself acting emotionally whenever he dealt with his wife, fundamentally, he was a man who never spoke against logic.

 

‘Did I truly lay hands on my wife with nothing but the intention to mock and threaten her?’

 

Ricard plunged into deep thought all of a sudden.

 

The three months or so they had spent together since his return to the castle. He recalled the scenes where he had grabbed his wife’s wrist or wrapped his hand around her waist.

 

And in those countless scenes, just as she had said, he was always smirking as he mocked her, or raising his voice and shouting.

 

It was a shock. More than the fact itself that he had treated his wife that way, the realization that he hadn’t even been conscious of it until now struck him as a greater shock.

 

‘In fact, I feel like my wife has already said something like this to me before.’

 

Claims that he was the one who didn’t want to share a bed, or that he only ever mocked her. It felt as though Renee had already protested this in the past.

 

Of course, it only came to mind vaguely; it wasn’t a detailed memory. The reason, of course, was because he hadn’t truly listened to his wife’s words with sincerity.

 

“That is.”

 

He started to speak, but there was no room for excuse. What could he possibly say to his wife, who was currently looking so deeply hurt, trembling like a stray dog caught in the rain?

 

The phrase, “The reason I treated you that way was because you constantly made me angry,” was the absolute best answer Ricard could come up with. And even he could tell that the moment he uttered that sentence, it would only wound his wife once more.

 

Meanwhile, Renee didn’t even press for Ricard’s answer, entirely lost in her own thoughts. Blinking her beautiful green eyes, she pondered for a long time before opening her lips with an intensely serious face.

 

“Or… by any chance, am I just completely far from your type, Grand Duke?”

 

At his wife’s completely unexpected and eccentric question, Ricard lost his words entirely. Stunned out of his wits, he merely blinked blankly, staring up into Renee’s face.

 

Far from his type. As a man born into this world, there was no way anyone could look at her and say she wasn’t their type!

 

Yet, Renee was waiting for Ricard’s answer with an utterly earnest face. Her slouched shoulders and trembling gaze all gave away her insecure state of mind.

 

“Absurd.”

 

Ricard muttered to himself, as if speaking to the empty air. Did the house in this woman’s hometown simply not possess such a device as a mirror?

 

“It is fine. I understand.”

 

“What exactly is fine, and what do you understand?”

 

“You are a splendid person in many ways, Grand Duke. There was even a popular rumor that if you were to line up all the women who wished to marry you, they would circle the kingdom and still have plenty left over.”

 

Renee let out a bitter smile, casting her eyes downward.

 

“I heard that beautiful and noble ladies from all over the empire conveyed their feelings in various ways to marry you, but you never responded even once. So, how high must your standards for women be?”

 

“……”

 

“……There is no way I could ever catch your eye.”

 

Finishing her words in a deflated voice, Renee smiled self-deprecatingly.

 

At his wife’s words, Ricard fell into a completely different kind of shock than before. First was the rumor she had mentioned.

 

It was true that there had been a countless number of women who wished to marry Ricard Sainer. To be more precise, it was closer to noble families swarming with greed to form an alliance through marriage with the Sainer family.

 

Using business discussions as an excuse, how many men had he endured who would request a meeting only to passionately lecture with spraying spit about how beautiful their daughters were and how modestly they had grown after receiving a high-quality education since childhood?

 

Furthermore, on rare occasions, audacious noble women would even step directly to the forefront. He couldn’t even remember all the faces of the women who would use blatantly obvious tricks to try to entangle themselves with him, or pull strings to arrange a meeting only to project a suffocating scent of perfume and flirt shamelessly.

 

Of course, among them, there was not a single woman who had captured Ricard’s heart. Far from capturing it, they had only aroused an inexplicable sense of aversion and disgust.

 

“Nevertheless, I know very well the reason why you rejected all those proposals and chose to marry me, Grand Duke,” Renee said in a dispirited voice.

 

“What is it?”

 

Beyond being curious or frustrated, Ricard was now feeling anxious about his wife’s answer. With what kind of unexpected words would she shock or confuse him this time?

 

Renee chose her words carefully for a moment. The reason why Ricard Sainer, out of all those women, chose to marry none other than Reneezmia Dainis.

 

That reason, which was also mentioned in the original novel, was exceedingly clear and simple.

 

First, by his innate nature, he avoided and even detested the idea of forming a family with a woman, but to live without a blemish as the ruler of the kingdom, he had no choice but to marry.

 

And as someone possessing a complex about being an illegitimate child of the imperial family, it was only natural that he needed to marry into a prestigious ducal family.

 

‘They had to have honor, but they couldn’t be a family with an excessive thirst for personal wealth, or especially one with an overabundance of political ambition. He wanted to lead the kingdom exactly as he desired, so he pre-emptively blocked any possibility of his future wife’s family interfering or exerting too much influence in any way.’

 

And finally, the decisive reason he chose Renee was…

 

As her thoughts reached this point, Renee’s expression, which had been maintaining a semblance of composure, crumbled miserably.

 

‘Because Reneezmia was a frail woman who had suffered from lung disease since childhood.’

 

Because he judged that since she had lived confined to her house without knowing anything of the world, she wouldn’t be able to harbor any alternative motives, and since she would be fully occupied just surviving day by day while plagued by illness, she wouldn’t bother him by craving his love.

 

Furthermore, if she were to die early due to her illness…

 

‘He might have thought that wouldn’t be bad either. In fact, the original Ricard schemes to set up a new life with Ceciana as Renee’s illness deepens after he falls for her.’

 

“What a rotten bastard.”

 

“……?”

 

“Gasp.”

 

Startled by the insult she had accidentally spat out loud, Renee belatedly clapped her hand over her mouth.

 

Watching the male protagonist in a drama betray his devoted wife and have an affair with another woman, she felt as though she could finally understand the hearts of grandmothers who would point their fingers and swear up a storm at the television.

 

“What? A what?”

 

With an expression that showed he doubted his own ears, Ricard asked back to confirm her words.

 

“What, a rotten bastard?”

 

He seemed deeply shocked by the coarse curse word that was utterly unbelievable to have come from the mouth of a noble lady. He appeared so utterly stunned that he even seemed to have missed the timing to get angry.

 

“Surely you weren’t saying that to me?” he asked, still looking a bit bewildered.

 

‘Since you and I are the only people here, who else could it possibly be…’

 

Unable to either affirm or deny, Renee kept her mouth tightly shut.

 

Looking at his wife, who had committed a massive slip of the tongue and yet clamped her lips shut as if protesting that she wouldn’t answer, Ricard pressed a hand to his forehead.

 

Truly, she was a woman whose next action could not be predicted. One moment she was dispirited like a withered flower, and the next she was bouncing all over the place like a rogue, committing impudences.

 

She was likely the first and last person to utter the insult ‘rotten bastard’ right to Ricard Sainer’s face and still keep her life.

 

“For now, I won’t hold you responsible for the insult, so finish the story you were telling.”

 

“If you mean the story I was telling, which one…?”

 

“You said you knew the reason why I married you.”

 

“Ah……”

 

“What is the reason you’re thinking of?”

 

Ricard’s eyes suddenly sank deep. His voice also dropped completely flat like the deep ocean floor, entirely different from before.

 

Renee did not answer this time either. It would be more accurate to say that she could not answer.

 

Without prodding her further, Ricard sharply turned his head away. It was an attitude as if he hadn’t expected an answer in the first place.

 

“If you truly know that, I will grant you whatever your wish may be.”

 

“Really?”

 

Renee asked back, brightening up. Granting a wish. Since he was a man who never went back on his word, the thought briefly crossed her mind to just shut her eyes and tell him the reason.

 

“It means the probability of you knowing it is zero.”

 

Speaking in a tone that seemed to chide an immature child, Ricard faintly pulled up one corner of his mouth and let out a chuckle.

 

Watching him, a question mark floated over Renee’s face. Seeing that expression and attitude of Ricard’s, how should she put it?

 

The thought crossed her mind that perhaps there was a reason that even she, the original author, did not know.

 

“Anyway, seeing you brighten up that much at the mention of a wish, I suppose there is a desire you always harbor in your heart?”

 

Ricard shifted the atmosphere with a light tone.

 

“It is nothing of the sort.”

 

“Divorce?”

 

“……Pardon?”

 

“Or exile? If not that, then starting a new life after exile?”

 

“……!”

 

Ricard maintained a light, casual tone as if joking, but Renee’s state of mind was completely different. She stared at him with an exceedingly startled expression.

 

‘Does he still think I want a divorce? Right now, I’ve thrown away all other thoughts and am simply focusing on the cafe work…….’

 

Before Renee could offer any explanation, Ricard abruptly stood up. He grabbed Renee’s wrist, forced her palm open, and handed her the container holding the medicine.

 

“I have already informed the chief physician in advance, so receive treatment as soon as you return home today.”

 

“Yes? But you said you would check the wounds yourself, Grand Duke… I mean, because it won’t cause side effects only if the exact amount is used… I mean……”

 

Bursting into a small chuckle as he brushed past the rambling Renee, Ricard paused on the spot for a moment. Then, turning his head halfway toward Renee, he spoke.

 

“Strictly speaking, wouldn’t my chief physician know better about medicine than I do?”

 

“…….”

 

“Furthermore, I believe I already told you that I didn’t come here just to apply some ointment? I am not that leisurely of a person.”

 

“Then why did you come?”

 

“Unless something extraordinary happens in the future, you will be returning home with me every single day.”

 

“Why?!”

 

“Just know that it is so. You constantly refuse to answer my questions, yet you dispute every single one of my words.”

 

“I am not disputing them, I am simply asking a question,” Renee protested, feeling wronged. Ricard shrugged his shoulders as if it didn’t matter either way and walked toward the wardrobe.

 

What he pulled out was a dress for Renee to change into. Handing her the modest, apricot-colored dress made of thick cotton material, Ricard stood still right there.

 

Hurrying a bit since the time to head home had been delayed, Renee had just slipped her body into the dress when she felt Ricard’s presence right behind her back.

 

“……!”

 

Since there were only the two of them inside the staff lounge, this touch gently wrapping around her bare back was undeniably Ricard’s. At that touch, which felt beyond unfamiliar and a bit surreal, Renee’s entire body froze stiff.

 

Having personally pulled up her zipper, he wrapped his arms around her waist from behind as if holding her in a back hug.